The City of Angels is a who’s who of glitterati! So it is no wonder you want to explore this buzzing metropolis with over 500 square miles to see. Los Angeles is one of the most visited cities in the world.
If you’re unfamiliar with the area or have never driven in LA before, it can be hard to know your best options for commuting—especially if you don’t have a car. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities for getting around this beautiful city.
Whether you’re looking to see the sights or just get from one point A to B, here are some tips on how to get where you need to go:
This post is part of our series Discover the USA
Driving
Unlike most cities, driving is the most popular way to get around Los Angeles; it is an excellent option if you’re feeling adventurous and want to explore the city on your own. You might think parking will be difficult in many areas with limited available spaces. But Los Angeles monthly parking is not hard to find; in fact, there are loads of options available to help you find a reasonably priced space for your car.
If you like taking public transportation or want something faster than walking but slower than biking or riding a skateboard, then driving might be for you!
To help with parking in LA:
- Google Maps has an excellent feature that uses sensors in your phone, which alerts you when spots are opening up nearby so that you can snag one before someone else does!
- It also shows what area has the most available parking spots at any given time so that if there are none near where you need to go, then maybe try somewhere else instead.
The Metro
Metro is the Los Angeles public transportation system. Metro provides bus, subway and regional train service throughout Los Angeles County. There are a variety of ways to get information about Metro’s services:
- The Metro website has route and schedule information for buses, trains and other modes of transportation.
- The Metro smartphone app lets you search for stops near you, see when buses or trains will arrive at your stop, plan trips on the go (including trip time estimates), track your progress along a route (if you’re walking) and much more!
- The LACMTA Commuter Express system provides rail service between western LA County communities with major regional employment centers such as Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood/Universal Studios, Burbank Airport/San Fernando Valley or Long Beach Airport/South Bay Area.
- Bike share programs allow users to rent bicycles for short periods of time in order to get around town quickly during rush hour traffic jams or long waits at bus stops; bikes can be returned at any docking station within the network’s boundaries after use!
Ride a Bike or Board
If you love being outdoors and getting in some exercise whilst you travel, then riding a bike may be the one for you. It’s a great way to see the city, but be careful! LA has a reputation for being one of the most dangerous places for cyclists.
Riding a skateboard is ideal if you are looking for a budget-friendly local commute option. A beginner skater’s average cost of a skateboard will be about $50. If you’re not sure about biking in LA, consider renting a bike from one of the many shops around town. Many offer guided tours of specific neighborhoods or sights and can provide helmets and locks if needed.
You can also explore by bike with one of several bike-sharing services available across Los Angeles County, including CycleHop (which operates Santa Monica’s Breeze Bike Share) and Ride Cycle Share (which runs the Metro Bike Share program).
Bikes are allowed on all public transit systems in LA, so long as they’re within their respective size limits: 24 inches by 30 inches or smaller is OK. Anything more significant must be left at home or stored on board an MTA bus or train car during hours when they’re prohibited from carrying oversized items such as bikes.*
- Before bringing your bike on board, you should also check with your local transit operator regarding any restrictions specific to its system.*
Zipcar and other services
Zipcar is a car-sharing service that offers a wide range of vehicles, including sedans and SUVs. You can rent from one hour to eight days at a time. Zipcars can be reserved online or via the app.
Carpools and vehicle pools
If you’re looking to get around LA on the cheap, carpooling and vehicle pools are great options. They are also excellent ways of meeting new people in your community. The best part? Carpooling can help reduce your carbon footprint and save money!
Rideshare programs like UberPOOL, Lyft Line, or Carma make it easy for anyone with an internet connection and a smartphone to find a ride somewhere—and they don’t even have to worry about driving themselves.
Instead, you can hail one by simply typing “#carpool” into social media search engines such as Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
Some apps even allow you to post requests for riders on their own pages too! That way, others who might be going in the same direction as you can see where they need more passengers before making plans for themselves; this makes getting around much easier than if everyone had just gone solo all day long (or worse yet – sat in traffic).
Know your options when it comes to commuting around LA, as well as parking in the city
There are many different ways to get around Los Angeles. If you’re new to the city, it’s essential to know your options for commuting around LA and parking in the city.
Driving is the easiest way to get around LA—especially if you have a car—but it can be expensive and time-consuming if you drive into downtown Los Angeles daily. In addition, parking spots are at a premium, so leave yourself plenty of extra time just in case you have trouble finding one or need more time than usual.
Public transit is another option for getting around town; however, long commutes may require multiple transfers, and transfers can take up valuable time during your commute.
Bicycling is another possibility for short distances within neighborhoods or across town; however, cyclists must follow traffic rules when biking on streets shared with cars (including riding on sidewalks).
Finally, you can rent a car when you need one but be sure that it’s insured before hitting the road!
Conclusion
We’re going to be honest: driving around LA, especially during rush hour, can be stressful if you are not used to it. So if you can take public transportation or carpool with friends or coworkers and avoid traffic, we highly recommend doing that instead!
And don’t forget about ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft—they’re great ways to get around town without worrying about parking or having enough money for gas at the end of your trip.
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